Adjustable shelf support stand



March 3, 1959 G. s. TYEPPER ET AL I 2, 0

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT STAND Filed March 21, 1958 INVENTORS as. PEPPER 0A1. CLEMENT, JR.

v Q. a

ATTORNEY United rates Patent ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT STAND Gene S. Tepper, San Rafael, and Carl J. Clement, Jr.,

Palo Alto, Calif., assignors to Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 21, 1958, Serial No. 722,934

1 Claim. (Cl. 211150) This invention relates generally to handcarts for moving around relatively heavy articles such as cathode ray Oscilloscopes.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a handcart of simple and rugged construction, and which comprises a shelf which may be easily tilted and locked in several discrete positions with respect to the horizontal.

Other and incidental objects of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following specification and an inspection of the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a handcart in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawing the handcart has a rear leg portion 11 made of a single piece of tubing and comprising two upwardly extending members forming the rear legs 13 and 15, which legs are joined by a horizontal loop 17 having two longitudinal members 19 and 21 and a transverse member 23. A front leg portion 25 comprises two upwardly extending tubular members forming front legs 27 and 29 which are joined to the longitudinal members 19 and 21 by means of bolts 31. The rear legs 13 and 15 are joined together by a transverse tubular member 35 and the front legs 27 and 29 are similarly joined by a transverse tubular member 37. The transverse members 35 and 37 are provided with holes into which can be fitted a removable tray 39. The legs 13, 15, 27 and 29 are provided with casters 41.

A shelf 43 comprising a U-shaped tubular member 45 is hinged about the transverse member 23 by means of flat pieces 47 and 49 which bend around the transverse loop member 23 and are held in place by means of bolts 51 in rubber stoppers 53. The shelf 43 also comprises a transverse member 55. The shelf 43 may thus be tilted upwardly about the transverse loop member 23, but

is prevented from being tilted downwardly by a transverse rear leg portion member 57 which is welded to the rear legs 13 and 15.

When the shelf 43 is tilted upward, it may be locked in a plurality of discrete positions by means of a locking arrangement comprising a frame having transverse members 59 and 61 and handle 63. This frame may move horizontally with respect to the shelf 43 and is held in place by means of channel-forming members 65 which are welded to the tubular member 45 of the shelf 43. The frame is provided with pins 67 which fit into any of a plurality of holes 69 positioned in the rear legs 13 and 15. A pair of springs under tension are secured to the frame transverse'member 59 and to the shelf transverse member 55.

To unlock the shelf 43 the operator pulls on the handle 63 and disengages the pins 67 from the holes into which they are positioned. The shelf is then free to be tilted to another position. It is locked in that other position by releasing the handle 63 so that the pins 67 fit into another set of holes. The springs 71 drive the pins into the new set of holes upon release of the handle 63.

The handcart in accordance with this invention provides a very useful tool in carting around instruments such as Oscilloscopes, and in positioning them at any of several desired angles for convenient observation when they are in use.

We claim:

A cart having a rear leg portion comprising two upwardly extending members joined together by a loop having two longitudinal members and a transverse member, an upwardly extending front leg portion joined to the longitudinal members of said loop, a shelf hinged about the transverse member of said loop, and means for locking said shelf to said rear leg portion in a plurality of discrete positions, said means comprising a frame slidably mounted on said shelf and having pins thereon, and a spring connected between said shelf and said frame and so located with respect to said frame as to urge said frame in a direction to cause the pins to be retained in holes positioned in said rear leg portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 131,316 Dann Feb. 3, 1942 2,758,847 Shone Aug. 14, 1956 2,764,419 Endus Sept. 25, 1956 2,823,043 Shone Feb. 11, 1958 

